Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones According to Droid-Life, Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile have stopped allowing pre-orders of the highly anticipated Motorola Droid X. The amount of pre-orders for the Droid X has matched the amount of phones Best Buy expects to receive on launch day. The only credit to the rumor is the fact that Droid-Life “received word from 2 separate Best Buy Mobile stores and called a third who all confirmed” the amount of pre-orders has equaled the expected inventory. It looks like the Droid X is going to be very popular considering it only took five days of pre-sale for it to end. However, let’s just hope Motorola and Verizon can keep enough phones in stock on launch day. Via [Droid-Life] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Apple, Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones In the New York Times today, Motorola ran a full page ad featuring the Motorola Droid X. Nothing unusual here, but it did take a jab at the iPhone 4 and the reception problems that have been plaguing it as of late. At the end of the ad, it features this statement: And most importantly, it comes with a double antenna design. The kind that allows you to hold the phone any way you like use it just about anywhere to make crystal clear calls.”
It’s usually hard to capitalize on flaws of the iPhone, so I’m glad to see Motorola take advantage of this opportunity. Reception is a big issue, and if you’re going to purchase an expensive smartphone, you should be able to hold it however you want, or at least be offered a complimentary case when it’s a design flaw on Apple’s part. In addition, the latter part of the statement seems to imply Verizon has superior coverage as compared to the AT&T’s spotty service. One of the prominent complaints of iPhone users is the fact that AT&T isn’t completely reliable, and Verizon customers hardly complain of a coverage issue. Verizon and Motorola should do as much as possible in the advertising campaign to point out the differences between the Droid X and its main competition - the iPhone 4. Via [TechCrunch] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Video, Web, Online Music/Video  Yesterday, we showed you a YouTube video by tinywatchproductions about a sales rep trying to convince a person who wants the iPhone 4 to buy the HTC EVO 4G instead. This time, we have a different video made by the same people which showcases an Apple store employee explaining to a HTC EVO 4G user why his phone isn’t working properly. The video can be viewed above. Again, there is a bit of swearing so you might want to keep the volume low. My favorite parts are when the EVO 4G user says it has more “M-P’s” and is “more open.” Enjoy! Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones  Verizon’s finally doing something good in this whole Droid Incredible saga. Basically, if you ordered the Droid Incredible before or on June 28, you are eligible to receive a letter of apology from Verizon! Hooray! All sarcasm aside, Verizon will be giving you a $25 gift card “as a way of saying ‘thank you.’ ” The generic letter Verizon will be emailing can be read below:
Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your recent order of the DROID Incredible by HTC. Due to overwhelming demand for this innovative device, we are currently experiencing inventory delays. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are working to resolve this issue. If your order shipping date was June 28 or prior, you may experience an additional delay of up to 7 business days. We will send an update with tracking information once your device has been shipped. If you have already
received your device, please disregard this notice. Your satisfaction is important to us, so we're also sending you a $25 Verizon Wireless gift card which may be redeemed online or at any Verizon Wireless retail store as a way of saying "thank you" for your patience in
this matter. No additional action on your part is required – we will send the gift card to the address you provided with your order in the next two weeks. If you have further questions regarding your order, please contact Verizon Wireless customer service by dialing *611 from your mobile or calling 800-922-0204.
Regards,
As we noted yesterday, the phone is now delayed to ship until July 28, which is pretty ridiculous. Personally, I would prefer $25 in cash or even my phone delivered on time, but it is still a nice gesture by Verizon to offer some sort of compensation. Via [AndroidCentral] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers 
It goes without saying the Kin launch in the United States did not meet the expectations of Microsoft or Verizon. The product had a very specific target base, but the phone was priced like a smartphone so it did not really appeal to the teenage target base. Even with a price cut on the Kin ONE and Kin TWO, the data plan still remained obscenely high for a product that doesn’t need such a high data plan. Andy Lees will combine the Windows Phone 7 development team with the Kin development team to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7. Therefore, the Kin will not be launching in Europe this fall. Here is the official statement from Microsoft on the matter: “We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases. We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones.”
For those who actually own one of the Kin devices, Microsoft will not be leaving you in the dark and hopefully will still provide software updates as needed, but no that is not confirmed. It’s sad to see Microsoft kill the Kin so soon after its launch, especially when it seemed the Kin had a bright future. But the meager sales of the Kin in America speak for themselves and justify killing the Kin before it launches in Europe. Via [CNET] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones  I think Sprint and HTC are gaining more publicity over a simple software update than they initially imagined. First, we reported the rumor that a software update was coming, but it wouldn’t be Android 2.2. Second, the update occurred right on time and fixed the problems it was supposed to, such as maximizing battery life. Third, the update caused some phones to become bricked, which certainly was not the intention by Sprint and they promptly pulled the update. Currently, Sprint is pushing the OTA software update again and this time it looks like everything is squared away. In case you already updated the device and your phone was fine, you do not have to update it again when prompted to do so.
Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Hardware, Laptops Sony has a potentially big issue on their hands considering nearly 535,000 laptops in the F and CW Series might have an overheating problem. Basically the heat-monitoring chips of the laptops don’t accurately monitor the heat produced by the laptop, and this problem is caused by a flawed BIOS. The machines can overheat enough to cause burns and warp the casing. An easy fix, which Sony is pushing users to do, is to flash the BIOS, which would solve the problem. However, flashing the BIOS is not always an easy process and can be dangerous if performed incorrectly. Therefore, Sony is allowing users to bring the laptop into a store and the technical representative on hand will flash the BIOS for you for free. Via [Sony Japan] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Web, Web 2.0 / Social Networking, Web Apps, Websites 
We all forward web pages around like frisbees, but now we can fling a highlighted version of the page thanks to Awesome Highlighter. The site is very simple to use but very effective. Sending someone a very clearly marked up page is far better than just a “here look at this page and guess what I found interesting.” The site presents users with a simple input box where users enter in the web page they want to mark up. Awesome Highlighter then takes you to the site and your mouse arrow is replaced with a nifty highlighter. Simple highlight the text or image you want to highlight and your’re done. Awesome Highlighter also allows notes, but when I tried it would only accept text if the right mouse button was held down (it could be due to heavier than normal web traffic). After highlighting, Awesome Highlighter provides you with a shortened url for sharing you highlight creation. Easy, free and works well - what’s not to love? Product page: [Awesome Highlighter] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Smartphones, Mobile, Computers, Mobile Computers The Palm Foleo may have been killed off (before it was ever released) back in September of 2007, but that has not stopped one from showing up on eBay. The auction looks to be a recent listing and at present is sitting at $52, though the reserve is not yet met. Of course, the Buy It Now asking price it a bit more—$750, so the fact the reserve is not met does not seem surprising. Otherwise, the auction is offering (at present) a little more than two days to bid on this little gem of outdated and never released technology. As far as the Foleo itself, judging from images it appears to be in pretty good shape. Otherwise, its described as being in “excellent condition with very minimal wear or smudges.” Plus it comes with a wall adapter, 4GB CF card and user manual. Plus there are a bunch of apps listed. And there you have it, the perfect auction for anyone that has dreamed of owning a Foleo. Just remember, using it to its full potential you will need a Palm OS smartphone such as an old Treo. Auction [Palm Foleo on eBay] Via [SlashGear] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Peripherals, Mice / Keyboards It looks like Art Lebedev Studios has returned with another keyboard, the latest is the Optimus Popularis and its been pictured and given an estimated price. First things first, the Popularis is expected to cost “less than” $1,000, but as of now nothing specific has been given. Otherwise, the availability is expected to happen before the end of the year with pre-orders beginning “sometime later this year.” In other words, we have a pretty picture and something to stare at but nothing really solid in terms of release and availability. Of course, at $1,000 its priced a bit a lot out of my reach so staring at a picture is about as close as I will ever come. That said, the keyboard does look intriguing. As you can see from the above image, it has a compact form factor, which basically means it does not have a dedicated number pad. That said, there is some trickery there, remember these keys are all really tiny screens which means they can change. According to the posting over on the Optimus Live Journal; “We have special Fn key in the lower left corner that turns right part of keyboard into the page-up and num-lock keys, as well as the numbers arranged in a familiar calculator layout.”
Otherwise, it looks cool, but like I said—$1,000 is simply out of my league. Read [Optimus on LiveJournal] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile At the Samsung press event held on Tuesday, an important piece of information came out regarding the OS of all four models of the Samsung Galaxy S. Each phone, the Vibrant, Fascinate, Epic 4G, and Captivate will initially ship with Android 2.1, but will be upgraded to Android 2.2, meaning full Adobe Flash 10.1 support. This information was reported at the event and reported once again via Samsung’s official Twitter account. Galaxy S phones will come with Android 2.1 and be upgradeable to Android 2.2 which will support Adobe Flash 10.1
Hopefully Samsung can upgrade each phone as soon as possible to Android 2.2, especially considering Nexus One owners already received their Froyo goodness. Via [Samsung’s Twitter Account] Image Via [Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile  It looks like Palm is making a serious run at both attracting new app developers and also getting webOS users to start downloading more apps. Of course, in the end they both go hand in hand. After all more users using more apps should entice more developers. Either way though, as of yesterday Palm extended the 50% off sale for apps from July 9th all the way up to July 23rd.
And now in further good news, Palm has also dropped the $50 fee that came along with submitting an app for entry into the App Catalog. Also, for those who paid that fee in the past, look for a refund because Palm has decided to not only stop charging them, but also announced a refund for anyone that has already paid. As as webOS user, lets hope these changes are a start of big things to come. Maybe this whole HP deal will be a good thing.
Via [PreCentral] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Mobile
Since the HTC Droid Eris recently got phased out, rumors were swirling around that the HTC Droid Incredible would be next to bite the dust, especially considering all the problems with screen shortages. Verizon confirmed to MobileBurn that the rumor claiming the Droid Incredible being phased out is simply a rumor. This comes as good news for those who have a Droid Incredible and those who plan on ordering one. Verizon also came out with another interesting statement, outlining what customers can do if they wish to switch from the Droid Incredible to the Motorola Droid X. "The Droid Incredible by HTC, as you know, definitely lives up to its name and is a fantastic device. It has proven to be very, very popular with our customers. Should a customer who has ordered a Droid Incredible decide that the Droid X (or any other device) better meets his/her needs, he/she can take advantage of the Verizon Wireless Worry Free Guarantee and choose the Droid X when it goes on sale July 15. Customers cannot pre-order the Droid X with us."
Basically, Verizon is not allowing pre-orders for the Motorola Droid X (only Best Buy is), but they will allow customers who pre-ordered the Droid Incredible to switch to the Droid X after July 15. Considering that the Droid Incredible still faces ridiculous delays, according to the Verizon website, the current estimated ship date for the Droid Incredible is July 28, customers may want to consider switching to the (hopefully) available Droid X. To recap, Verizon will not be phasing out the Droid Incredible, but are encouraging customers to switch to the Droid X after July 15 using the Worry Free Guarantee. Via [UnwiredView] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 Section: Computers, Software / Applications Just as you were getting accustomed to actually liking a Windows OS for once, it seems as though some titillating info about Microsoft’s next operating system have been leaked onto the web. As it turns out, a gentleman by the name of Francisco Martin Garcia posted a few slides labeled “Microsoft Confidential” that discuss some features of the new OS. It seems as though Microsoft was aiming for a Kinect-esque future by implementing a facial recognition login/log out. Some of the other possible features in Windows 8 (I guess we can start calling it that) will be nearly instant startup and and wake-from-sleep times, faster connection speeds such as USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0, ambient light sensitivity and hard drive encryption. The light sensitivity feature will automatically adjust your screen from changes in your room’s lighting. You won’t hear any complaints from us as long as there’s no 3D. Via [CBS News] Full Story » | Written by Tarun Kunwar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 More Recent Articles | 
No comments:
Post a Comment